Tag Archives: spray

David and I have been married for almost nine years. Since much of our wedding was a DIY affair, we have several items leftover from that event, including a set of large serving trays from Ikea. To be honest, I’ve hardly ever used them, mostly because I don’t like the strange graphic on the front. At the time, they were just what we needed, and the image was easily covered by tissue paper or whatever was on it. I figured it was time to make them less ugly and more useful.

This is where chalkboard paint comes in. I used Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Spray Paint in Flat Black. It took a couple coats to get the coverage I was looking for (see below), but the finish turned out surprisingly nice! I didn’t do any prepping either, just made sure it was clean and dry to begin with (I learned on this project that I do not like the effect of starting with a primer).

Ta-da!

Now I have an elegant serving platter that works for all occasions. And, even better, the kids have fun drawing on it! We have had it now for about 8 months and the chalkboard finish still looks as good as new. I will say that it doesn’t erase as easily as I’d like, but a simple washing with soap and water removes all traces of remaining chalk dust. Overall, it is quite handy, and gets more use now that when we first bought it.

Do you like chalkboards? Or chalkboard lettering? Tomorrow I’ll be sharing a free printable as well as links to some lovely chalkboard fonts. See you then!

Leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, April 4th, for your chance to win a set of Elmer’s Paint Markers and a $25 Walmart gift card. See details below!

A couple weeks ago I was approached about doing an Elmer’s product review and giveaway. My reply? Yes! I’ve always wanted to do a product review, and you know how I love art supplies! With the arrival of springtime, blooming plants, and sunshine, I figured a painted pot project would be just the thing!

To begin the project, I stopped by to a local thrift shop to pick up a pot. Hmm… which lucky pot would be going home with me? How about this one:

It would be perfect for our front porch. I brought it home for a little TLC, including a thorough scrubbing and a coat of semi-gloss white paint.

Then my Elmer’s Paint Markers arrived. Wow! These are not like any paint marker I’ve ever used. The colors are bright and the flow is just right. At first I kept doodling test sketches of flowers, but then I realized a friendly greeting might be more appropriate for near the front door.

Like any paint, you have to shake the pens before using. To get the paint flowing, you depress the tip on a dry surface. I had a piece of paper to do this on before I painted the pot. I was pleased to see that the marker caps were true indicators of the paint color, and that they fit snugly – not only is the product protected from drying out, but I don’t have to worry about my little ones being able to open them without my supervision. They are also non-toxic, acid-free and fast drying. I was able to lay down the green lines and then draw the blue letters on top shortly after. I did go over the filled-in areas a second time, just to ensure a solid coat. Over all, I was pleasantly surprised. I can see many possible future uses for these little pens!

What do you think? Want to paint your own flower pot, or have some other project in mind where paint markers would be handy? Then you’re in luck because this post includes a giveaway!

Enter to win a set of Elmer’s Painters AND a $25 Walmart gift card!

To enter, leave a comment below (or by clicking “comments” under the title above to add your comment). That’s it! Yay!

More details: This is not a paid review. I was simply given a pack of markers to try, which I sincerely enjoyed. Winner will receive a 5-pack of medium Tip sherbet swirl painters which includes: Ocean, Lilac, Citron, Coral and Tangerine, AND a $25 Walmart gift card. This contest is open to residents of the US and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on Thursday, April 4 at midnight PST. Winner will be drawn on April 5 using random.org. Please be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Ah well. Things are winding down for me in the motivation department. This happens sometimes. I’ll have this amazing streak of cleaning, decluttering, & project fulfillment and then it will dissipate back to my everyday amount of energy. Well, it was fun while it lasted!

Meanwhile, here is a quick pic of one of my projects from a couple weeks ago. We had this strange (for Oregon) winter sunny day and I thought ‘I’m going to paint!’ So, once the kids went down for naps I quickly gathered all the supplies and the kids’ Ikea LATT table and chair set.

I’ve been a fan of the dipped look for a while, so I decided to tape off a bit of the bottom legs to let the pine show through. The color is “Eden” by Rustoleum Painter’s Touch, satin finish. Anyway, I really like it and the kids do too! I wish I could find a before photo – by this point the wood had been stained with food and art supplies and who knows what else, so a quick sanding and layer of spray paint made it look good as new!

And what do you think of that MYSIG bed canopy? I totally fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I actually didn’t buy it that trip, because I wasn’t sure where I’d use it, but the next time I decided to grab one up. For $9.99, it’s a bargain. Since we have nothing for the wall there yet, I thought it would make an excellent topper for the table set. It’s hung with a single Command mini hook, so no nail hole was needed. The play kitchen is right to the side there, too, so the kids are always bringing their tea sets and play food over (as you can see). I’m thinking of having a vinyl wall decal made that says something like “Chloe & Leo’s Corner Cafe” to place underneath. Wouldn’t that be cute? Or would that be too much? 😉

P.S. I just happened to look up when we originally bought the LATT table, and it was when Chloe was 20 months old. I mentioned it here. How ironic that it should get a makeover when Leo was 20 months old!

I am often amazed at the spray painted transformations that you find among DIYers on the internet. So many inspiring projects! I wanted to give it a try, and this was my first painting effort – a wooden rocking chair that Chloe’s grandparents found for her. It looked to be well-used by the time we got it, with stains and pencil marks and a replaced dowel on the back. But Chloe loved it and so did I. It just needed a little freshening up.

Since there are plenty of “how-tos” on spray painting, here are a few things I learned from this project:

1. Keep a large cardboard box for a ground cover. It doesn’t blow around like plastic.

2. Don’t use primer unless you have to. I wanted to do this project “right,” including primer for best adhesion and coverage. However, the primer was rough and somewhat gritty, which required more sanding. I realized too late that the original chair would have been fine un-primed, and would have saved a lot of work.

3. One can of spray paint was not enough. This meant that I had to make a second trip to the store, and with a new baby and toddler, it took a while until I could get back there. Also, the first can of paint didn’t spray very well. I thought it was my technique, but it turned out there was just something off about that particular can.

4. In the case of this chair, it was better to start with it turned upside down, giving it a good coat(s), letting it dry, and then finishing it right side up.

5. Try not to let weeks (or months) go by from start to finish. Because I left it with a coat of rough primer for a long stretch of time, Chloe kind of got out of the habit of sitting in it (that or because the cold set in, she now prefers her little upholstered rocking chair instead). However, we have another kid who will love it once he gets a little older (and a big reason we didn’t choose the color pink!).